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The Mothers

A Novel

"A dazzling debut novel from an exciting new voice, The Mothers is a surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community--and the things that ultimately haunt us most"--"A dazzling debut novel from an exciting new voice, The Mothers is a surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community--and the things that ultimately haunt us most. Set within a contemporary black community in Southern California, Brit Bennett's mesmerizing first novel is an emotionally perceptive story about community, love, and ambition. It begins with a secret. "All good secrets have a taste before you tell them, and if we'd taken a moment to swish this one around our mouths, we might have noticed the sourness of an unripe secret, plucked too soon, stolen and passed around before its season." It is the last season of high school life for Nadia Turner, a rebellious, grief-stricken, seventeen-year-old beauty. Mourning her own mother's recent suicide, she takes up with the local pastor's son. Luke Sheppard is twenty-one, a former football star whose injury has reduced him to waiting tables at a diner. They are young; it's not serious. But the pregnancy that results from this teen romance--and the subsequent cover-up--will have an impact that goes far beyond their youth. As Nadia hides her secret from everyone, including Aubrey, her God-fearing best friend, the years move quickly. Soon, Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey are full-fledged adults and still living in debt to the choices they made that one seaside summer, caught in a love triangle they must carefully maneuver, and dogged by the constant, nagging question: What if they had chosen differently? The possibilities of the road not taken are a relentless haunt. In entrancing, lyrical prose, The Mothers asks whether a "what if" can be more powerful than an experience itself. If, as time passes, we must always live in servitude to the decisions of our younger selves, to the communities that have parented us, and to the decisions we make that shape our lives forever"--

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Opinion

From Library Staff

A moving and insightful debut from a writer who makes it seem easy. Brit Bennett is a natural storyteller. All of the voices in The Mothers - but particularly those of the mothers themselves - are familiar, profound, and occasionally infuriating. The characters are flawed and damaged, yet like... Read More »

A beautiful, poignant, and engaging book about how a decision made as a young adult can drastically change the course of a person's life. It is chock full of realistic and flawed characters that I definitely connected with as a reader and I really loved the author's style of writing.

From the critics

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This is another audio book we grabbed for our three week road trip. I had heard great things about this book (it seemed like everyone and their mother were buzzing about it) but hadn't gotten around to physically reading it. I didn't know much about it (other than "the mothers" were church mothers who sort of gossiped about the characters in the story), but am glad I finally checked it out. The hubby and I both definitely liked it. I mean, one of the main characters, Nadia, grew up in Oceanside (and many real, local places were featured throughout the story) and then went to the University of Michigan for college (sort of like the opposite of what the hubby and I did). Not only was the plot engaging, but we especially loved it because of the personal ties we had with the stories (more the locations, not the cheating, abortions, etc). The fact that the hubby went to the same Art & Design school as the author didn't hurt either ;) It was a beautiful story about love, friendship, tough choices and forgiveness. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

This story grew on me. By the end I had cried, got mad, threw the book down in frustration and then cried again. I like the way the author developed the characters and I found pieces of myself in each one - the hallmark of a great writer. Hollywood should definitely be interested in bringing this story to the screen. I'm looking forward to reading more from Brit Bennett. I'm pretty sure I'll brag to anyone who will listen how I read her first book before she became a household name.

This depiction of how the lives of three people intersect and the repercussions of an abortion on the greater community is sparse, yet extremely well executed. A great choice for a book club, as there is much to decipher and discuss.

The Mothers follows the lives of three young people, how their relationships interact over time, and how their actions change each other's lives. The Greek Chorus of Church Ladies overseeing the decades long tale provide an all-knowing/all-seeing narrative trail. The story covers the topics of love, family and the consequences of our actions over time. I really enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend.

I grabbed this book because it was suggested by one of my favorite bloggers, and she described it as one of the most anticipated books of the year. I realized after I started reading that I had heard the author interviewed on NPR. The book follows the lives of three characters and many of the tragic occurences they have endured, from a mother's suicide to a mother ignoring her own child's sexual abuse, but most of the plot focuses on an abortion that happens in the very beginning of the book. What I liked best was the switch in POV, shedding light on why a certain character did what he/she did and why. Getting into each character's mind helped the reader fully understand that character's action even if the other characters couldn't. I didn't really love or hate the narration of "the mothers" throughout the book. It might have been a bit distracting, but it did provide an importance to the writing, making it seem classic, reminding me of the witches in Macbeth. I look forward to more from this new and young author.

"She might have gone her whole life not knowing, thinking that she was enjoying a feast when she had actually been picking at another's crumbs."

I first came across The Mothers on Instagram; and after that, book clubs seemed to be buzzing about how good it is. Then they put it on display at my local library, so I decided to borrow it; and I'm so glad that I did. I really enjoyed the story. It kept me engaged and the storyline wasn't at all cheesy.

I really enjoyed this book. I love books about family and relationships. How we are always looking for answers when parents leave. How our past will often haunt us well into our future. I loved the main character, Nadia. She was flawed but also had great strength and determination.

If I spend time thinking about the characters after I’ve read the book, it has made an impact on me. The Mothers did just that. As “the mothers” of the church watched the pastor’s family and members of the church, a lot was seen, but much was missed. As elderly women they’d seen a lot of living and death. Their observations as they watched the pastor’s son, a young girl grow up after having her mother commit suicide and a young girl abandoned by her mother, they reflect back on their lives. Told from the perspectives of the young people and well as the mothers, the church becomes a living place providing solace for some and confusion for others.

There’s lots of ‘mothering’ in Bennett’s coming-of-age story set in Oceanside, CA, with a triangle of teenagers facing myriad issues.

The book’s narrative voice comes from a group of churchwomen, elders who have seen it all and give their opinions freely among themselves. A brilliant plot device. It was interesting to enter these people’s lives for a while, so different from my own experiences. I had a hard time identifying with any of them, but I applaud this debut effort. Well done.

Quotes

"Oh girl, we have known that littlebit love. That littlebit of honey left in an empty jar that traps the sweetness in your mouth long enough to mask your hunger. We run tongues over teeth to savor that last littlebit as long as we could, and in all our living, nothing has starved us more."